Nellie Cournoyea, Inuk, 1940-
She is a former Canadian politician who served as Premier
of the Northwest Territories from 1991 to 1995. She was the first
female premier of a Canadian territory, and the second female
leader of an elected legislature in Canada after Rita Johnston
in British Columbia. Cournoyea is of mixed Norwegian and Inupiaq
heritage. Before entering politics, Cournoyea was an announcer
and station manager for CBC North in Inuvik, and a land claims
worker for the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada. She was first elected
to the territorial Legislative Assembly in 1979, representing
the electoral district of Western Arctic and later Nunakput. She
served the government in a variety of cabinet positions. On November
14, 1991, she was chosen as premier under the territory's consensus
government system, in which the premier is chosen by elected members
following the general election. Cournoyea served as premier until
1995, and subsequently chose not to stand for reelection to the
Legislative Assembly. She currently serves as chair and CEO of
the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation. She was a winner of the National
Aboriginal Achievement Award in 1994, and has been awarded honorary
doctorates in law from Lakehead University, Carleton University
and the University of Toronto.
